North Carolina Legislature Fails to Repeal HB2, Breaking Deal With Charlotte City Council

WASHINGTON, DC, December 21, 2016—Today, the North Carolina state legislature failed to pass legislation repealing HB2 before adjourning a special session. Previously, the Charlotte City Council voted to repeal its local city ordinance that clashed with HB2 after receiving commitment from the state lawmakers to repeal the anti-LGBTQ law.

“The full repeal of HB2 with no harmful amendments would be welcomed news for North Carolina, but instead, GOP lawmakers have turned their backs on LGBTQ people, workers, veterans, women and people of faith. Let’s be clear: HB2 is bad for business, bad for politicians, but bad for all North Carolinians as it denies millions of people freedom, justice, equality and human dignity. HB2 bans cities and local jurisdictions from enacting non-discrimination protections on grounds such as race and gender, from enacting equal pay laws, family paid leave, and livable minimum wages.

“Tonight, self-interested North Carolina politicians showed that they will stop at nothing as they resigned themselves to an even worse reputation and an economy that’s continuing to plummet. If nothing else, these lawmakers not only need to repeal HB2 but also pass comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. If they do nothing, HB2 will go down in history as one of the most vindictive and damaging laws in the state’s recent history,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.

“We are deeply disappointed that the Charlotte City Council repealed its landmark law in good conscience and the state lawmakers failed to do their part. What is particularly notable about all of this is the role that thousands of people of faith played in protesting HB2 as immoral. These voices were pivotal and will be critical as we fight for full repeal of HB2 and passage of full nondiscrimination protections. This was a tremendous opportunity for North Carolina to right a great wrong; it’s unconscionable that lawmakers chose to waste it,” said Carey.

Over the past year, the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund’s sister organization, the National LGBTQ Task Force, led the way in faith organizing: having thousands of conversations with people of faith (POF); providing specialized advocacy trainings for POF; and, helping to raise POF voices in efforts to eliminate discrimination. For example, on Election Day, the National LGBTQ Task Force staff where in Charlotte, North Carolina to engage voters in our #FaithfulVoters project. Staff and volunteers collected more than 1,000 responses to surveys of POF on LGBTQ protections, racial profiling, and reproductive justice issues. This work indicated that POF overwhelmingly support justice and liberation for all people.